Contract will help update state's pavement management system and pavement design guide

HONOLULU — Professor A. Ricardo Archilla of the College of Engineering at UH Mānoa has recently been awarded a five-year, $950,000 contract by the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT) to update the current pavement management system and pavement design guide for the State of Hawaiʻi. The project will assist decision-makers in finding cost-effective strategies for providing, evaluating, and maintaining pavements.

"There have been significant advances in the tools used," explains Archilla. "Pavement distress identification technologies, such as image analysis of pavement photographs for identification of pavement cracks and potholes, and Geographic Information Systems used for pavement management will be explored for implementation in Hawaiʻi."

In August 2005, Archilla began collecting information and evaluating data to determine the most effective way to proceed with the project. This includes evaluating data collection technologies, assessing different Pavement Management System software, collecting and analyzing available traffic data, pavement materials, and environmental data.

Archilla will also be updating HDOT‘s Pavement Design Manual using a newly developed mechanistic Pavement Design Guide. The Pavement Design Guide developed through a federally-funded study will be calibrated to meet local requirements.